Kirsten Gillibrand, a New York Democrat, easily wins re-election to U.S. Senate

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand speaks at St. Vincent’s Hospital Westchester in Harrison Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. She was there to push for funding to combat the opioid epidemic and support national prescription drug monitoring programs.
Peter Carr, pcarr@lohud.com

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., speaks during the New York State Senate debate hosted by WABC-TV, Thursday, Oct. 25, 2018 in New York. Gillibrand and Republican challenger Chele Farley have sparred in a televised debate over immigration, health care and whether the incumbent Democrat plans to run for her party's presidential nomination in two years. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, Pool)(Photo: Mary Altaffer, AP)

ALBANY – U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand cruised to re-election in New York on Tuesday, easily winning another six-year term over Republican challenger Chele Chiavacci Farley, a political newcomer.

Gillibrand, a Democrat often mentioned as a potential 2020 presidential candidate, was the heavy favorite against Farley, a finance-industry veteran who waged an underdog, underfunded campaign in her first run for elected office.

She won 68 percent of the vote with 86 percent of precincts reporting.

"I want to thank New Yorkers for giving me the honor and privilege of being able to keep fighting for you in the United States Senate," Gillibrand said at the state Democratic Committee's victory party in Manhattan.

“Elections are always about who you fight for, and I promise you I will fight for your families as hard as I fight for my own."

Gillibrand has seen her national profile rise as she fought against sexual assault in the military and on college campuses, while making headlines for calling on President Donald Trump and Democratic Sen. Al Franken to resign amid sexual-harassment allegations.

It was the third time Gillibrand has easily thwarted a Republican foe en route to a big statewide victory after she was first appointed to her seat in 2009 when Hillary Clinton became secretary of state.

Gillibrand easily defeated Joseph DioGuardi in 2010 to fill out the final two years of Clinton’s unexpired term, picking up about 64 percent of the vote.

She set a modern New York record in 2012 when she took home 72.2 percent of the vote against Republican Wendy Long.

Early election returns showed Gillibrand with a wide margin of victory Tuesday.

Gillibrand had about 82 percent of the vote with 28 percent of precincts reporting, though most of those districts were in heavily Democratic New York City.

She said Farley called and conceded the race around 9:45 p.m.

"I want to thank her for running," Gillibrand said. "It takes a lot to put yourself out there and run for Senate. It's the second time we've had two women running for Senate, and it should not be the last."

Farley accused Gillibrand of being too focused on her national ambitions at the expense of her home state, faulting her for not doing more to draw more federal resources to their home state.

For her part, Gillibrand, who lives in Brunswick, Rensselaer County, waged a muted campaign this year, traveling the state — and other states, including presidential hotspot New Hampshire — to campaign for other Democratic candidates in the days and weeks before Election Day.

Gillibrand did not air television advertisements and had more than $10 million remaining in her campaign account as of mid-October.

The lack of spending led to speculation Gillibrand was saving the money for a potential presidential run in 2020.

Gillibrand said at a debate last month that she will serve a full term if elected.

"I will serve my six-year term," Gillibrand said during her lone debate with Farley.

In her victory speech, Gillibrand accused Trump of "further dividing this country by racial, religious, ethnic and culture lines, sowing hate and fear."

"Tonight we start to move forward again," she said. "Because we believe in right verses wrong and we refuse to let what’s wrong win."

JCAMPBELL1@gannett.com

Jon Campbell is a correspondent for the USA TODAY Network's Albany Bureau.